COURSES AND CLASS SCHEDULES

Course Schedules

Each semester, the university publishes its schedule of course offerings for the following semester, available through AUK Banner Self-Service. The schedule provides information on the courses to be offered, the meeting schedule and frequency, the time schedule (time of the day and days of the week), and the classrooms and laboratories for the respective courses. Students should consult the class offerings on AUK Banner Self-Service and prepare a draft of their desired courses before seeking advice from their academic advisor. Students are responsible for verifying the accuracy of their course schedules on AUK Self-Service throughout the semester in which they are enrolled.

Course Prefix, Level, Title And Credit Hours Information

Each course offered by the university is identified by a letter prefix signifying the academic discipline (field of study), followed by a three-digit number indicating the level of the course content. For example, “ENGL 207: Introduction to Rhetorical Studies (3)” is a sophomore course offered by the English Department that follows freshman course(s) at the 100-level such as “ENGL 101: Approaches to Critical Reading and Writing (3).” The number in parentheses following the title of a course indicates the number of credit hours for the course. All courses are valued in credit hours. Generally, each credit hour is equal to 15 contact hours. Each credit hour of laboratory is equal to at least 40 hours of laboratory experience.

If the frequency of a specific course offering is not indicated, it is offered at the discretion of the program or department. Students should be careful to establish when the course will next be offered, in order to remain on target with their educational plan. Inquiries should be directed to academic departments and programs.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites are courses or conditions that must be satisfactorily completed before enrolling in certain courses. Upper-level courses, typically with 300 and 400 designations, may require one or more prerequisites. Specific prerequisites are usually noted in the course description, with the prefixes and numbers. Equivalent courses with a grade of “C” or better completed at an accredited institution of higher education may meet the prerequisite requirement through transfer of credit. Prerequisite transfer equivalency is determined by AUK. It is the responsibility of the student to enroll in the course only after completing the appropriate prerequisite(s). Students who do not satisfy the course prerequisites will have their registration for that course removed by the Office of the Registrar unless they present an approved form granting them permission to enroll. A prerequisite course in appeal will not allow a student to enroll in the subsequent course(s).

Co-Requisites

A co-requisite is a requirement that a certain course must be taken concurrently (in the same semester) with another course. It is the student’s obligation to know and meet course co-requisites. These are stated in the course description section of the catalog. Co-requisites will be enforced at registration.

Concurrent Course

A concurrent course is a requirement that a certain course must be taken concurrently (in the same semester) with another course, if it has not been successfully completed previously. It is the student’s obligation to know and meet course concurrency requirements. These are stated in the course description section of the catalog. Concurrency requirement will be enforced at registration.

Independent Study Courses

An Independent Study course is an individually supervised, upper-level course that offers a student the opportunity for focused study in a specific area of interest. These courses are restricted to juniors and seniors who have received instructor approval and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. Students may not take more than six (6) credit hours of independent study toward the 124 semester credit minimum required for graduation. Non-degree and Visiting students are not permitted to take Independent Study courses.

Special Topics Courses

A special topics course is an upper-level course with topics that vary by semester. These courses are normally restricted to juniors and seniors, who have received instructor approval. Students may not take more than six (6) credits of special topics courses that have study abroad trips toward the 124 semester credit minimum required for graduation. Students are not limited in taking special topics courses that do not have a study abroad trip component or are full-semester study abroad programs and/or institutions approved by AUK.

Course Substitutions

Course substitution is restricted as follows:

The original course is not offered prior to the student’s graduation from AUK;

The substituted course must be in the same field of study as the original course;

The substituted course contains similar content according to the course syllabi; and

The substituted course is of equal rank or higher level. Gen Ed courses are not subject to substitutions.

All course substitutions require the approval of the department chair and the appropriate academic dean.

University Academic Operation And Class Periods

The university offers courses on a five-day schedule, from Sunday through Thursday. Courses are valued in credit hours, and normally meet either two days a week for seventy-five minutes per class session, or three days a week in sessions of fifty minutes. Laboratory, workshop, and specialized courses meet for two-to-three hour sessions per week. Upper or higher level courses, independent study, and other specialized programs may have unique meeting schedules, but normally are valued at three credit hours, or the equivalent of 45 contact hours. Class duration and meeting frequency may differ during the summer semester.

Course Descriptions And Syllabi

The “Course Descriptions” section of this catalog contains descriptions of approved courses in the university curriculum, listed alphabetically by discipline (field of study), and then by course number, title, and credit hours. Non-recurring or special topics courses are published online each semester via AUK Self-Service. Course syllabi provide a detailed outline of the course content, with indicated dates for the assignments, exams, and other requirements. Syllabi are distributed by the instructors at the beginning of the course.

Disclaimer

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within
this Catalog, users should note that the laws, rules, and policies indicated are subject to amendments which may modify the information contained. Changes and modifications may come in the form of statutes enacted by the Legislature, or rules and policies adopted by the Board of Trustees of the
American University of Kuwait, or by the President or his/her designee of the campus.

The information in this Catalog is effective at the time of publication.

The AUK Catalog shall not operate or be construed as a limitation to the rights, powers, or
privileges of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Kuwait. The Board of Trustees
is authorized by law to adopt, amend, or revoke rules and policies that apply to students if
deemed necessary.

Students are individually responsible for reading, understanding, and complying with all requirements and regulations. Failure to read, understand, and/or comply does not exempt students from requirements or regulations.

The university reserves the right to make changes without prior notice to programs, course
offerings, academic requirements, and/or faculty and staff, should the need arise.

The relationship of the student to the institution is one governed by laws, rules, and policies
adopted by the government, the Board of Trustees, and their duly authorized designees.

Any approved updates to the content included in the catalog that occur during the course of the 2016-2017 academic year will appear on the online version of the catalog, which is found on the AUK website www.auk.edu.kw).

The normal authority, Amiri Decree 139, which authorizes the American University of Kuwait to
operate and grant degrees, was issued on July 8, 2003. AUK received its Institutional Accreditation
from the Private Universities Council (PUC) – Ministry of Higher Education in the State of Kuwait,
as of February 1, 2006.